1998 4x4 of the Year Models: GMC Yukon SLT

General Motors' big-but-not-as-long-as-the-Suburban sport/utility was introduced in 1995 and revealed itself as the Chevy Tahoe back in our 1996 shootout. This year's GMC Yukon version was eligible for competition thanks to its all-new Autotrac active transfer case, which is now standard on 4x4 Yukons and Suburbans. The other significant aspect of new Yukons is that they are no longer available in two-door versions. All '98 Yukons come with the Vortec 5700 engine introduced in 1996, and all have automatic trannies.

The importance of the new Autotrac T-case is an all-wheel-drive 4WD Auto mode that enables the T-case to sense wheel slip and send power to wheels with the most traction. This allows on-road use of full-time four-wheel drive for surefooted safety in inclement weather or go-fast fun powering down dirt roads. And you have even more choices: 2-Hi, 4-Hi, and 4-Lo positions are retained. Testers left the shift button in Autotrac mode for most of the non-trail testing, and the all-wheel traction showed its merits most on snowy backroads and during high-speed cornering on dirt roads.

However, the Yukon's high scores were less attributable to the Autotrac than to the traits of the good ol' fullsize truck from which the Yukon platform was derived. Those include a sturdy ladder frame with minimal trail-grabbers (aside from the running boards), and a basic drivetrain consisting of a Corporate 10-bolt rear and a 10-year-old IFS design up front. Of course, the basic pickup suspension has been successfully tuned for sport/utility ride, and the huge interior was well liked for its comfort, utility, ergonomics, amenities, and the best driver-side airbag packaging we've ever seen.

Drivetrainwise, the 255hp Vortec 5700 continues to impress. Even though it weighs 460 pounds more than the Durango, the Yukon ran a nearly identical quarter-mile time. Judges also liked the power on tap in off-road situations, but criticized the transmission for hunting for gears too often.

Although the Yukon is a seemingly aged design, it's hard to criticize when it scores best-of-the-bunch in mechanical fit and finish, highway ride and drive, interior appointments, and usefulness of the cargo area. Even we were surprised by how well it scored versus some of the newer-designed trucks-but you'll notice that we've yet to mention off-road ability. Yep, in every dirt-testing category, there were a couple 4x4s that were superior to the Yukon. However, it failed at nothing, scoring solid middle-of-the-pack off-road evaluations to back up the healthy on-road benefits.